


give a little, get a lot

by Caracalliope



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reverse Petstuck (Homestuck), Decadence, Dehumanization, Extremely Dubious Consent, Gentleness, Hair Kink, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Negotiations, Slavery, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-06 04:29:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15878559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caracalliope/pseuds/Caracalliope
Summary: Dirk steals a book from the library, and Eridan takes control of the situation.





	give a little, get a lot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TriadicUniverse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriadicUniverse/gifts).



Dirk wasn’t saying anything, but that wasn’t a rare occurrence. In the first three days, when Eridan had been too busy with wiggling day politics to study his new pet closely, he’d gotten the impression that they’d sent him a defective human that didn’t speak at all. Considering the strings Eridan's enemies had pulled against him in the past, it wouldn't have been a surprise.

Now, he knew that Dirk could talk. But that didn’t mean he was gonna.

Eridan dragged him to the pet alcove, which wasn’t the most thrillin’ place to have a serious conversation. Too many coddamn pillows. Still, he sat Dirk down, and sat down beside him, and said in his most formal voice and syntax, “Well? What in the hell was that?”

In a few beats’ time, Dirk said, “Whatever, bro. I besmirched your library, betrayed your trust, and so on, can we like skip the interrogation? Do what you’ve got to do.” Dirk's syntax was sloppy as a sailor's.

Eridan got that Dirk wanted to get this over with. But Eridan had promised himself - and Kar - that he’d always talk to his pet before flying off the plank. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice when you stole my book?”

Dirk didn't look up, gaze fixed on his painted toeclaws. Nails. Humans had no claws to speak of. “Your big boy nickname is the Archiver. I knew you’d notice, okay? I just thought I’d get some useful info out of the book first.”

“And did you?”

“ _No_ ,” Dirk bit out. Was he more upset by that or by the upcoming punishment? Eridan had never finished that particular tome, truth be told. It was a remnant from his programmer days, and he couldn’t make heads nor fins of it anymore.

“So why didn’t you ask me to lend it to you?” Eridan asked. He tilted Dirk's head up.

Dirk stared at him, orange eyes narrowed. “Why would you do that?”

“Why do I let you talk to me the way you do?”

“Uh, because you like it?” Dirk said. “Easier to pail and pile that way. I mean,” he hesitated, then lifted his chin high and squared his shoulders. “Maybe that doesn’t apply anymore. Shit’s less cute when it turns out the pet’s a sneakthief that can’t even grow manners when it’s in trouble.”

Eridan saw his point. Eridan was also totally out of every last one of his codfort zones. He observed Dirk, the firmness of his frame, the delicacy of his throat, the way his fidgeting hands betrayed nervousness while everything else stood still.

In the end, all Eridan could think of was to lie back on the pillows. He took his reading glasses off, and covered his eyes with a forearm.

“I _earned_ that big boy nickname,” he muttered. “You should treat it with respect.”

“Sure,” Dirk said. He followed his cue, and lay down parallel to Eridan. “As soon as you go through a whole day without complaining about how boring and tame it is.”

So maybe he told his pet more about his life than was proper. Did that make things unworkable between them? It didn’t have to, Eridan was sure of it. It just meant he had to keep on talking to Dirk a little bit more. Explain things and discuss them.

“The way it works,” Eridan said, “is that you’re extra nice to me for a while, and then, when I’m filled with lust, goodwill and your fishy pale slurry, that’s when you say, hey, benevolent master, I always wanted to learn troll programming, can you please make my fish come true? And I say, sure, any time, all you had to do was ask.”

Dirk contemplated it, his eyes closing. Strider stock got itchy eyes without their shades on, Eridan knew that much. But Dirk was hardier than Terezi's Strider. He never asked once to keep his shades on. Eridan still let him wear them in the alcove, but he sure wouldn't let him wear them right now.

“I can’t do that,” Dirk said eventually. The amethyst earrings quivered. Maybe Eridan could confiscate those as punishment? Didn’t seem all that effective though.” I mean, I can’t be _extra_ nice. This is it. The full extent of my sex skills, and my pale companion skills.”

“And your manners?”

“Okay, maybe that area could use some work. But then I’d raise the bar - and next time I wanted something, I’d have to raise it again. It’s not a sustainable system. Eventually I’d have to be like, sorry, master, I don’t need anything from you right now, so I’m just going to go back to being a rude fuck. And that would indicate I’m _not_ doing my best anymore, but I am. I want to? I take this seriously, you know.”

Eridan did know, sort of. Dirk had never rejected him, never snapped at him or shrugged away. He listened and responded all the time, which was more than anyone had ever done for Eridan before.

Eridan reached out, and Dirk sort of froze, but all Eridan did was pet his lusus-colored hair. Eventually, Dirk took it as permission to close his eyes again.

“Okay,” Eridan said, and took one of Dirk’s hands. “New hypothetys.” Dirk wasn’t important enough to wear rings, but maybe Eridan would get him one anyway. He pressed a quick kiss on Dirk’s knuckles. “You tell me when you want a favor _because_ that’s a way to please me. I like pamperin’ you, you must have noticed. So as long as it’s reasonable, I probably won’t say no. Or at least, you won’t get into trouble.” The list of things that would get Dirk into trouble was narrowing rapidly. Eridan wasn’t in the mood to think about it.

“Fine,” Dirk said. “Okay. Can I get the book back?”

“Yeah,” Eridan said immediately. “It’s a shitty one, I don’t need it.”

“Okay. How about internet time. Can we extend it from one hour to three? When you’re not around, I mean.”

“Sure,” Eridan said, then, “eventually. I mean, you’ve got to get punished for this, right?”

“Riiight.” Dirk seemed just the right amount of upset. Maybe he thought that was a brush-off, but it wasn’t.

“Anything else?” Eridan said.

“Why not,” Dirk shrugged. “Can I cut my hair short?”

“No!” Eridan loved Dirk’s braid, loved filling it with gems and ribbons. “I - I mean, how short?” Maybe it could be a frizzy, floppy Kar cut, that could be adorable.

“It’s not important.”

“No, it is! Just show me next time you get net time, okay? We’ll find a compromise.”

Dirk shook his head, but he couldn’t exactly take the wish back. Eridan would bring it up again later.

But the braid was there now, and there was no reason not to pull on it a little. Eridan never hurt Dirk, not even in the beginning, when he so was cold and alien that Eridan felt unwelcome in his own home.

Like always, Dirk rolled on over toward him. Eridan kissed him and found him so fuckin’ pliant. A troll could get used to kissing lips like that.

“You want something?” Dirk asked. “Is there something I can do that I haven’t yet? I want to, Eridan. I’m trying.”

There wasn’t, really. Eridan was less complicated than Terezi, or Eq. Even less complicated than Fef. “Just relax, yeah? I’ve got it. Stop overthinking everything.”

“Fuck, that’s _definitely_ outside of my skillset,” Dirk said. Eridan kissed one of his odd human eyebrows, and then the tip of his nose.

It was still rare to feel Dirk relax, but when it happened, he rippled under Eridan like a wave. Eridan had him bracketed, held into place. Sometimes, he liked holding Dirk down by the shoulders or the wrists. But right now, it wasn’t even necessary.

The necklaces around his neck were heavy enough to stay in place in any position. Eridan’s sloppy kisses passed over the jewels. Maybe Dirk would like something less landdweller-garish? Eridan would get him pearls, later. The ruby pendant would stay though.

Dirk made the softest of noises when Eridan reached his chest. It was easy to forget that humans had weak spots in the weirdest places.

“Hey, close your legs,” Eridan said.

“Huh?” Dirk obeyed but said, “You’re really testing my limits here, man. I open them for you every single time, and now you’re bringing in a plot twist? They never prepared us for this in human school.”

“Sh. Keep ‘em pressed tight.”

Human skin was smoother than Eridan was used to. His bulge slid out of its sheath and only curled up twice before Eridan got it to slide in between Dirk’s thighs. The bulge covering cloth Dirk wore did nothing to hinder Eridan’s pleasure, but maybe it was working against Dirk’s?

Eridan wasn’t all that into strength displays - but it was fun reaching down to rip that thing off of Dirk. His bulge was happily nestled between Dirk’s muscular legs, and it didn’t particularly bother Eridan that the muscles were positioned differently than they would be with a troll.

Looking down at Dirk was the best part of the arrangement, and Eridan kissed him sweetly, pressed on down until that ruby pendant was digging into both their chests.

That human school had to be good for something, because Dirk almost always kept still, only his heartbeat showing the he was real flipping into it. But right now, he was relaxed enough (relieved enough?) to move his arm, and he caught the back of Eridan’s neck. It was pale as a pap, or nearly so.

Eridan spilled all over Dirk’s legs. Dirk didn’t follow his example yet, but that was fine. Eridan had plenty of time to get him flowin'.

He pulled back, watched the streaks of violet dripping down Dirk's hips. In most cases, Eridan hated a mess. But Dirk didn't look dirty or even particularly debauched like this. He looked just the way he should.

If Eridan had another pet, he could have it clean this up. But then he wouldn't have any excuse to do it himself.

"Oh," Dirk said, mildly, when Eridan wriggled down and put his lips on the thighs he'd just fucked. "I mean, a sponge is fine. The whole manor's filled with them."

Just to warn him, Eridan scraped a fang across the inside of the left thigh. Dirk breathed out - a laugh? A gasp? Scared or turned on? Or bored? - and his legs opened up like always, giving Eridan enough space to work.

"Okay," Dirk said again. "Sorry, clearly you've got a plan here. I'll keep my mouth shut."

But for once in his life, that wasn't true. He kept making little noises while Eridan cleaned him. It probably helped that Eridan extended his attentions to that odd, stiff human bulge.

"Hey," Dirk said. "Hey, master." The appellation was unusual enough that Eridan stopped and looked up at him. "I always wanted a tattoo. Can you make my fish come true?"

No, Eridan absolutely would not. Probably. But Dirk was smiling, in that human way, so Eridan pressed a kiss on his thigh before he went back to licking up the royal stains.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I really appreciate your artwork and I liked your prompt! I hope this treat is something like what you had in mind.
> 
> The title is from _Power and Control_ by Marina  & the Diamonds.


End file.
